I wish I knew what kind of handle the Ranch has on the Party in California but it is evidently lock-tite. Just revisiting the route issue got Roelof van Ark fired straightaway.

Buying the Ranch outright would be couch change for one of our bazillionaires but they are just not interested in transport. They would rather put their extra money in a non-profit charity front which then doles out grants and in the process garners "good will" for the tycoons' companies.